Marcelo Díaz
Chilean footballer (born 1986) / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Marcelo Alfonso Díaz Rojas (Spanish pronunciation: [maɾˈselo ˈði.as]; born 30 December 1986) is a Chilean professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder for Chilean Primera División side Universidad de Chile.[1]
Personal information | |||||||||||||||||
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Full name | Marcelo Alfonso Díaz Rojas | ||||||||||||||||
Date of birth | (1986-12-30) 30 December 1986 (age 37) | ||||||||||||||||
Place of birth | Santiago, Chile | ||||||||||||||||
Height | 1.65 m (5 ft 5 in) | ||||||||||||||||
Position(s) | Midfielder | ||||||||||||||||
Team information | |||||||||||||||||
Current team | Universidad de Chile | ||||||||||||||||
Number | 21 | ||||||||||||||||
Youth career | |||||||||||||||||
2002–2005 | Universidad de Chile | ||||||||||||||||
Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||
2005–2012 | Universidad de Chile | 164 | (4) | ||||||||||||||
2010 | → Deportes La Serena (loan) | 13 | (5) | ||||||||||||||
2012–2015 | Basel | 58 | (7) | ||||||||||||||
2015 | Hamburger SV | 19 | (1) | ||||||||||||||
2016–2017 | Celta Vigo | 40 | (1) | ||||||||||||||
2017–2018 | Pumas UNAM | 31 | (5) | ||||||||||||||
2018–2021 | Racing Club | 36 | (1) | ||||||||||||||
2021–2022 | Libertad | 21 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
2023 | Audax Italiano | 21 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
2024– | Universidad de Chile | 0 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
International career‡ | |||||||||||||||||
2005 | Chile U20 | 7 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
2011–2017 | Chile | 61 | (1) | ||||||||||||||
Medal record
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*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 4 July 2021 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 5 September 2017 |
Díaz came through Universidad de Chile youth academy, and was promoted to the first team in 2004, when he was 18. Making over 150 appearances Díaz was an integral part of the team with the club that won five titles including three consecutive national championships and the 2011 Copa Sudamericana; the club's first international title. In 2012, he moved to Swiss side Basel, where he won two consecutive league titles, before moving to Hamburger SV in 2015.
Díaz has earned over 60 caps for Chile since his senior debut in 2011, and represented the nation at the 2014 FIFA World Cup as well as the 2015 Copa América, winning the latter while being named in the Team of the tournament.[2]
Díaz has earned the nickname of "South American Xavi", as both of them have a great ball control capabilities and excellent passing skills. In June 2015, he scored a 91st minute free-kick goal that helped save Hamburger SV from its first ever relegation from the Bundesliga and is considered to be one of the most important goals in the club's 128-year history.[3]